Misty finally reached the blocked tunnel area, using her paws to dig she worked at loosening the stones that had fallen until she could squeeze her body through the hole. Barking in triumph she popped through the opening and started up towards the entrance of the cave.

Shadow's eyes were filled with confusion as he slowly pushed himself to his feet, watching Silver carefully.

Silver recognized the scent coming from the cave. "Misty, where is Demon?" Silver suspected she would clear the tunnel, this posed a risk, but it was worth it if it made Misty feel more comfortable at the new Alpha Den.

Misty proudly trotted out of the cave, her head held high and looking like a completely different wolf with accomplishment pouring off her. She pranced up to Silver and licked his chin before shaking the dust out of her fur, her eyes bright as her tongue lolled out happily. "Back at the cave," she said, her voice slightly smug. "He can't get into it, only I can." Sure enough a few seconds later a howl echoed through the trees, a note of desperation and panic laced through it.

Silver gave Misty a look, mostly out of amusement, partly out of disbelief as he shook his head. "You are enjoying this, huh?" Silver spoke with a laugh on his voice. Silver walked the pack, learning their names and addressing their injuries.

Misty huffed in amusement. “Yes just a little bit,” she said. She trotted up to Silver, rubbing her head into his muzzle before licking him gently. “So what’s next on the plan great Alpha?” She asked, her eyes teasing him slightly.

Misty picked up the kits tucking them into the back corner of the den to sleep before walking outside to take care of the packmembers closest to the den entrance. She sent runners out to get supplies and frequently checked back in the cave, making sure the kits were safe.

Shadow persistently tried to ease away from Silver. Sniping at him slightly Shadow pinned his ears, the tips of his teeth showing slightly. His hackles were raised, irritation at having his pack stolen from him swirled within him, along with his life being spared by Silver. Better than he had killed me, he grumbled to himself in his head.

"The first lesson you will learn, Shadow, is to swallow your pride." Silver spoke with authority. "Pride is something you have to earn. You are brash and quick tempered, even if you had the same skill as me, you'd still have lost the fight." Silver spoke so that the pack could hear. This lesson was intended for all of them. This pack was good hunters and decent fighters, but what they had caused them to become arrogant. It had been a mystery to Silver why Misty was not the same way. He found a diamond mixed with the coal. Silver continued. "You cannot expect to get any better than what you are now if you don't swallow your pride and undestand that you are not the best. No, you are not the best, yet." His tone was set to tear them down and yet also to build them up. His voice like his eyes pierced through to their very souls.

The whole pack dipped their heads to avoid Silver's gaze, their ears drooping in shame. Only Shadow reacted more angrily. He struggled to raise himself to his feet despite his injuries and pinned his ears. "Why do you care anyway?" he snarled. "We were doing just fine without you. Why couldn't you have just left Misty and our pack alone." Shadow's balance wobbled but he held himself upright as the entire pack stilled, watching this new confrontation closely, the whole clearing dead silent as if the whole forest was awaiting Silver's response.

Silver felt a twinge of anger build up inside, but instead he cracked a genuine smile. Silver walked over to Shadow and breathed on him, causing Shadow to fall over. "As I recall, it was you who hunted me down, instead of leaving me alone. I had warned you not to cause trouble with me. A lesson the Bear learned the hard way too." Silver lowered his head down to Shadow. "If you want to challenge me, become strong like me. I will teach this pack how to truly be strong. Do you accept? Or, do you wish to keep challenging me until you are dead? Then, what good would you be to your pack? Where is the loyalty? A leader has a duty to stay alive and to become stronger in order to protect his pack. So, I ask again, Do you accept?"

Shadow kept his gaze locked with Silver's for a long while, his legs tangled from when he had fallen over in a heap of pain. His fur stood up all over as he flicked his ears backward once in anger. Finally he snapped his teeth together and heaved himself upward, legs splayed out slightly to keep his balance as he lowered his head just barely. "Fine," he snarled. "But the second you find some other interest you leave immediately. And leave Misty in her pack where she belongs." The rest of the pack shared some glances at having to "deal" with Misty once more but said nothing, not wanting reprimand from the new Alpha.

"You don't seem to understand the situation you are in. I could have exiled you or kill you, but I made you my Beta." Silver spoke slightly amused. "I appreciate your determination, but this is exactly what will get you killed." Silver's tone took a serious and dark tone as he stepped on one of Shadow's wounds. "As for Misty, she is my mate. Where I go, she goes, and where she goes I go. If you ever try to take her from me, it will be the end of you." Silver turned to the pack. "What is the first Lesson?"

Shadow winced at the pressure on his wounds, a slight whine coming from his muzzle that he quickly swallowed. “Misty is in this pack,” he said, determined to keep his adopted sister near him. He had never truly stood up for her against the pack but for some reason he staunchly refused to let her go. She was the one thing left that his family had taken in and he’d be damned if he let some mongrol take her from the pack. She’d lived on the outskirts of his pack since his parents had died and was almost his permanent scout. She kept him updated on everything happening around the pack before his official scouts even knew about it. He took her for granted often but she continued to stay despite it and so nothing changed. He may lose everything to this mutt but he refused to let him take Misty from him.

Misty inched closer to Silver behind him, staying silent and invisible to everyone as she quietly listened to the exchange between them.

The pack lowered their heads, staying silent. They had followed Shadow’s family their entire lives but this new wolf was stronger, smarter, and they didn’t know how to handle him.

Silver looked at the pack. All of you are broken. Be glad it was I that fought you and not the Rouge Pack. They would have killed all of you." Silver turned to his mate. He brought her close to him. He licked her muzzle then draped his head over her. "Misty belongs to one family, the joined family of the Northern Pack and The Southern Sands. She is the rightful heir of the Southern Territory, as I am of the North. The west belongs to the Bear King and you had control of the east, but you were too weak to protect it. This pack is now The Sands of the Northern Moon." Silver then whispered in Misty's ear two things. "The bear that I defeated and claimed his territory, was the Bear King, himself. Also, not all the Sands have perished, once our pack is healthy, I will take you to them." He held her close, their hearts beat as one.

Out from the western wood, a falcon raced over the tree tops searching for his target.

Misty looked up at Silver in surprise. “You claim the northern and western territories?” she asked. “Then why are you traveling? And exiled no less. If you control the packs why did you have to leave with the kits?” She leaned her weight into Silver, breathing in his scent, using it to calm herself in front of the pack. When she was with him she was never nervous, her ears hardly flicking and for once in her life she felt, normal. Suddenly she pulled back to look at him. “Wait, what do you mean there’s more of the sands pack?”

"I travel because I choose to. I live in exile by choice at this point. I left the Bear King in power in the West." Silver thought for a moment. Then he spoke So all could hear. "When I was cast out by the Rouge Pack after they killed my family, I found myself in the Southern Desert. There the Tortoise King took me in. He trained me to become strong, wise, and self sustaining. While I lived under his care, I was tended to by two wolves of the Sands. The older male was the former Pack Leader and his daughter. She was younger than Misty, but looked much like her. Must have been your younger sister," Silver suggested to Misty. "From there, I returned to the North. I fought the Rouge Pack and reclaimed my home. Then I traveled to the Western Wood, along the river. There I fought the Bear King. I claimed the West as well." Silver showed the scar from his fight with the Bear King. "I returned to the South. Once more, I fought the Tortoise King. I still lost." His voice was still confident, even when he talked of his defeat. "I came here to find some peace and quiet for a while." Silver turned to Shadow. "You didn't know what your limits were, and you rushed into a fight you were not prepared for." Then he turned to Misty. "Your soul is the most pure I have ever seen. The most Beautiful. I could not let you be alone anymore."

Misty’s head shot up. “I have a family?” She asked, her voice slightly breathless from fear and awe. Suddenly she shook her head. No, she thought. I won’t get my hopes up. Not to have them dashed again. There’s no point. She whined slightly and pushed her face into Silver’s fur, her ears starting to flick back and forth.

Shadow was unconvinced. “So you say,” he snipped. He may have been beaten but his snark and sarcasm would never go away. His parents had raised him to be an Alpha that would never back down. They had raised him to be a kind and fair yet firm Alpha too but his memory conveniently forgot that part over the years. “What proof do you have? So you have a scar. Big deal any wolf can make up a story for an odd scar and plenty have before. What’s so special about you? Travelers from all over say you are a liar and a scoundrel. Why should we trust anything you say about being the ‘ruler of all packs’.”

A loud screech echoed through the trees drawing the attention of all the wolves in the clearing. A falcon found his perch on top of Shadow, digging his talons into the injured wolf. "Sire!" He spoke fervently, "The Western Woods is under attack!"

Shadow immediately yelped and snapped at the falcon. Before his teeth could hit feathers Misty’s fangs closed around his muzzle. “Don’t,” she said, her eyes hard. The pack rolled their yes collectively at Misty’s tendency to help other animals than wolves. When Shadow just glared at her she let go and stepped back. She nodded her head at the falcon. “You must be exhausted after a long flight. Talk to Silver and I will be back shortly,” she said. Turning she trotted to the den to grab some of the leftover doe kill for the falcon.

The falcon stayed perched on the injured wolf. "Sire, humans have entered the West. The King sent me to find you and bring reinforcement. The humans have brought their guns, even the King is worried.""Take back this message, when my Pack is healed, we will be on our way.""Sire, who did this to them?""I did, of course."

Misty placed the cut of doe meat in front of the falcon. “Have something to eat before you go,” she said, pushing it closer to him. “It’s a long flight back.” She glanced at Silver. “Silver we don’t know how long until Dusk gets back with the healers. They may not last that long. We need to do something.” Her eyes hardened slightly. Misty licked Silver’s muzzle once before rubbing her head against his jaw. “I need to go to them.”

The falcon ate the meat. Silver nuzzled Misty. "If I know Barron, he is only making preparations. We will have the time.""I will let the King know you are making your preperations." the falcon replied."Thank you, Talon." affirmed Silver. Silver turned to his pack. "Northern Wolves are granted the gift called Sight of Souls when they converse with the spirits. The Southern Sands are gifted with the Gift of Healing. The Western Bears are granted the Sight of Knowing. The King has seen what will come and he is preparing to defend the Western Territory. We have time to prepare before we go to the West."

“And the Eastern Packs the Gift of Strength,” Misty finished. “We still need to help them somehow. And we don’t know how long it will be until Dusk returns. This is a threat then affects all of the packs. All of OUR pack.” Misty’s ears flicked. She meant what she said but farther inside her she also wanted to go. She was nervous about meeting these Sand wolves and wanted to give Silver a chance to get the pack to trust him without the shadow of her reputation over him.